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John Sinkevics | The Grand Rapids Press

About Me:

A reporter at The Grand Rapids Press since 1981, I've been an entertainment writer and music critic here for the past 11 years, focusing on rock, pop, blues, alt-country and other genres. I also write a Sunday music column and a monthly feature called "Local Spins" that focuses on new releases by regional artists.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/john.sinkevics?ref=profile

Thanks for all the wonderful comments ... and memories. You can now follow me on my blog, www.localspins.com, and on Twitter @johnsink. And starting in February, you'll be able to read my monthly music column and stories in REVUE Magazine (www.revuewm.com). I'll continue to spotlight local artists during my "Local Spins Live" segment on News Talk 1340 AM at 10:05 a.m. Wednesdays, with videos of in-studio performances on my blog. And I'll talk music with Tony, Michelle and Uncle Buck on WLAV-FM (96.9) at 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays. It's a musical reboot!

Love the soulful, retro approach of Fitz & the Tantrums, though their album actually was released in 2010. Wish I could have caught their show here in Grand Rapids and will keep an eye out for their next West Michigan appearance. And yes, Electric Forest was -- as usual -- a uniquely Rothbury experience definitely worth experiencing. Unfortunately, I could only attend one day of the event so I'm looking forward to seeing what they might have on tap for 2012...

It's a bit hit and miss; I know at least one place north of town is now out of business, but perhaps some readers have more suggestions. I just found out from another reader that "The Respite in Douglas offers music every Friday and Saturday, customers are encouraged to join in by bringing their own musical instrument."

Actually, they bring other musicians on stage with them for part of their shows. And this is specifically an arena tour. The Black Keys are playing much bigger venues than GR's Van Andel Arena on this tour, including Madison Square Garden, Chicago's United Center, Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse, etc. Clearly, the band is prepared for bigger shows and bigger venues this time around...

Because the Lions have fallen apart in the second half and the referees at Ford Field are completely incompetent today, let me throw a flag on the halftime show, as presented on FOX.
Interference: 15 yards for the silly dancers and artificial audience hustled onto the field for Nickelback's performance of “When We Stand Together.” And even if that performance seemed relatively solid for a moderately catchy tune by a band widely disparaged for its mediocrity, it's ludicrous that all this hubbub took place so they could play ONE SONG!?!. All things being equal, I much preferred Mayor Hawthorne's scintillatingly soulful basement show provided live by rollingstone.com. Put it this way, he scored a lot more points than the Lions.

It bothers me a bit that anyone would begrudge or dismiss any band that's passionate about its music and is working its tail off to expand its audience -- no matter the genre. I'm not suggesting that this band is more deserving of break-through than some other amazing local groups who've been toiling just as hard and whose music has gotten some attention, but The Crane Wives certainly have turned heads the past several months. That said, Stepdad also is among GR's "buzz-worthy" groups (and I'll be spotlighting them in the near future), as are The Fuzzrites and many more. The wealth of talent here is phenomenal and often under-appreciated.

Love that capitalism allegory! But I must say, while the top ticket prices are exorbitant, at least there are cheaper options available. And believe me, outside of U2's stadium-sized "claw" stage and screen, this is one of the most elaborate (and probably one of the most expensive) rock productions you'll ever see.

I have to admit redman5427 makes a good point. It makes me VERY nervous to see stories about how folks in Las Vegas are betting heavily on the Lions already before a football's even been snapped. But I've been touting new Lions theme songs for years and I'm glad that this season's suggestions have a mostly positive spin. And so many fans have such a diehard passion for this team that I'd love to hear them get behind a fiery new tune. How about "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses or "Jawbreaker" by The Deadweather) or "I Got Mine (Playoff Berth?)" by The Black Keys?

Yup, I know the boys have Muskegon roots, but I've been told by members they consider themselves a Grand Rapids-based band. And their Facebook page shows that to be the case -- Hometown: Grand Rapids. http://www.facebook.com/popevil#!/popevil?sk=info

Perhaps it could use a little tweaking to create some dance space, but I thought the seating at The Intersection worked well Tuesday, especially for an older crowd. I'm just glad to see the club bringing in artists like Earle and I'm confident they'll book more shows of this caliber. It was also great to hear that Earle gave GR's own Ralston Bowles quite the shoutout after his soundcheck: came up to Ralston and said he'd been listening to his album and loves his songs. Now that's an amazing compliment from a songwriting icon. Nice.

Perhaps, far more than Jim Tressel, Wilson really is a tragic hero. And that always makes for a difficult situation at a live show. I've seen the Beach Boys in their heyday with Brian Wilson, and this certainly was a different experience. But I certainly don't believe I was being an apologist for Wilson either; I pointed out that he's not what he used to be and barely plays his instruments on stage. Nevertheless, I'm sure many of those in the audience found his band's harmonies to be spot-on for much of the night, even if Wilson's own vocals faltered at times. I remember seeing Ray Charles perform not long before he passed away. I was disappointed at the brevity of the show because of the pianist-singer's advanced years, but glad I had the opportunity to see such a legendary artist on stage even if he wasn't in his prime. I'm guessing a few people wanted to take advantage of that same sort of opportunity Friday night at Meijer Gardens.

Yes, Monday's show was presented in exactly the same way as the concerts that Frampton performed back in 1975 (which also match the same order found on the 25th anniversary edition of "Frampton Comes Alive," but slightly different than the original vinyl version).

Yes, Monday's show was presented in exactly the same way as the concerts that Frampton performed back in 1975 (which also match the same order found on the 25th anniversary edition of "Frampton Comes Alive," but slightly different than the original vinyl version).

A couple of things to expound upon: MSU chose the Colorado turf farm, I was told, because the "soil profile" is closest to the turf they have now at Spartan Stadium. According to Ianni, it gives the turf "the best chance to grow in and perform the way we want it to perform."
Also, Olympia Entertainment this week is offering fans a deal for this show: $55 tickets for $30.
http://presalepassword.net/news/5604_OE-Online-Club-Exclusive-Special-Ticket-offer-for-U2-at-Spartan-Stadium8207.asp

Something to keep in mind for fans lucky enough to be there Saturday night: It's possible that the fall tour that Seger's planning will hit mostly new spots and won't include the Great Lakes State (lots of West Coast and Canadian shows), so you may have seen the last of this beloved Michigan rocker for a while. Hold onto those memories. Then again, Rock and Roll Never Forgets.